The Rise of a New Avatar
by FallenAngel853
Summary: As the young waterbender, Shang overcomes the dangers of her home and her world she discovers her true powers. In search of the new avatar to defeat the fire nation Shang makes knew friends and uncovers untold secrets of her own destiny.
1. The Fall of the Northern Tribe

-1The Last Water Avatar: Fall of the Northern Water Tribe

Chapter 1

Princess Shang, the great, great, great granddaughter of Princess Yue, sprinted down the long glacier of the Northern Water Tribe. Faster and faster she ran like no other waterbender, or earthbender, or firebender for that matter. As she neared the end of the ice block she took a giant leap and dove toward ocean. The wind whipped past her face and cool air filled her lungs before she splashed into the clear blue water. With one mighty kick she reached the surface and the water's waves began to pull her to shore. As she floated on her back toward land she breathed a large sigh. Oh, how she loved jumping from such height, feeling as if she could almost fly. Everyone knew Shang for her adventurous attitude and exhilarating actions.

Ever since the fire nation was defeated by Aang, the past avatar, the Water Tribe was free to live a tranquil lifestyle like before. Once, the fire nation had attempted to kill the moon and ocean spirits, but her Princess Yue sacrificed her own life to save the whole world from the fire nation's wrath. Princess Shang was very impressed with her ansestor's bravery, and she hoped someday she could prove herself as just as brave. Someday she might, but now she had a waterbending practice that she was already late for.

She lifted herself from the icy ground and picked up her jacket by the city entrance. She took her time walking to the castle-like town center. It had five giant pillars to represent the five past avatars that were born to the Northern Water Tribe. A moon hung above the clear doors representing Yue, but what amazed Shang the most was not in the front but in the back of the building. Behind it was a sculpture of Aang, the past avatar, who saved them all. Now in the cycle, it was the water nation's turn to bring the avatar, and Shang knew this avatar was out there somewhere.

"Shang get in here!" yelled out the youth tribe leader, Don. "I don't understand you at all. You've got the fastest pair of legs I have ever seen, but you still manage to be late everyday."

"Sorry," Shang lied. "Can I ask you a question." She didn't wait for an answer. "Why have we not found the water avatar yet?"

"For all I know, the avatar could be within this tribe. Therefore, we better not deprive them of learning waterbending, now should we?"

Shang agreed to join the class, but wasn't at all excited. She already knew everything they were learning. She guessed it just came natural. As she entered the room, spots of rainbow whizzed from wall to wall caused by the sunlight shinning through the dangling ice chandeliers. Their beauty overwhelmed Shang every time she came here. She closed her eyes and let the warm sunlight tickle her face. Suddenly, an image of candle flashed in her head. It started as a small flame but all at once it burst out, fire roaring with such great intensity Shang back away. Her eyes pierced open to an image unlike her daydream.

"Look out!" Don yelled to her while he struggled to break free from a guard's grasp. She jerked her head up in time to see the chandelier aflame, the rope at it's last string. With great speed she moved just before it fell to her previous spot.

Confused she turned around. The fire nation was here to attack again. But how? The intricate stain glass window shattered to a million pieces, and Shang bent down to cover her face from jagged glass flying through the air. A chip of some great waterbender's eye fell to her feet. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Shang's sight became blurry around the edges and her head began to throb. This was her life literally melting away. She bent down to the blue glass piece and held it close to her heat, secretly making a wish before she fainted.

She awoke to the sound of a young children distantly crying. As she slowly came back to conscious she realized that a boy, no older then three, was tugging on her shirt. Men were attempting to fight the all powerful fire nation with not much luck. Mother's were hurrying their kids to the ships, their only escape, obviously leaving this child behind by mistake. As she looked at the boy she felt a tear of her own fall down her face. It landed on the stain glass eye piece in her hand, and she instantly knew she had to help this child. With haste, she pulled him up on her back and ran in the direction of the shore only to be stopped dead in her tracks. The ships had left and the fire nation was blocking the entrance. She quickly ducked behind a small building and pressed her back against the wall. The boy continued to cry in her arms.

"Shhh," Shang tried to comfort the child. "It'll be alright." There was only one chance of them living through this and she was willing to follow through with her plan. She ripped a piece of cloth from her jacket and tied the boy to her back. With one deep breath, she made a dash across the open land, toward the giant ice mound, and up the ladder. She climbed as fast as her legs would allow, as the fire guards pointed their fingers.

"Stop her." She heard one of them yell. Reaching the top of the glacier she took one last glance of her tribal home. Buildings were nothing but puddles of water and the town center was melted down to the ground. Only the statue of Aang stood tall, and that was all Shang needed to give her hope. With a running start she pushed off the edge of the glacier and was free falling just like before. Only unlike before, this time she was afraid. Afraid for the young child still strapped on her back, for the men still back on land fighting, and for all her friends who she'd never see again. All of her fears came pouring out as she fell nearer and nearer to the water surface. The one fear that overpower all the others was her fear of the future and what was lying just around the corner.


	2. In Search of the Avatar

Ch 2: In Search of the Avatar

Shang awoke to the sweet sound of seagulls and the gentle, even waves of the ocean. Slowly, she managed to open her eyes only to be blinded by the bright sun above. She stretched, yawned, and pulled herself to her feet, brushing the sand off what was left of her coat_. Sand?_ Where was she? What happened? A glance at the young boy sleeping nearby made her relive yesterday's unfortunate event. Or was two days ago? She felt like she had been sleeping for ages.

Her first instinct was to wake up the boy, but he seemed to be having such a nice dream, she didn't want to wake him up to reality. Instead Shang tried to remember all of what happened the previous day but could only make out bits and pieces of it. She remember Don yelling something to her, then seeing the statue of Aang standing alone in the melted city, and then jumping toward the ocean with what little faith for the future she had left. She just couldn't make out all of what occurred.

She decided to take a quick dip in the ocean. Water always seemed to clear her thoughts. Shang rolled up her pants, threw off her jacket, and waded in. The water here was a lot warmer then the water back at home. How far away was she? And how did she get here? When the water was up to her waist she turned around and surveyed area. It started as a sandy beach and then some trees started a deep forest. There seemed to be no sign of civilization at all. For someone who had lived in a well structured city for her whole life, this was a very unusually.

Once she made her way back to shore she pulled her jacket back on. Something shiny fell out and landed in the sand with a thud. It glistened as Shang picked up the blue piece of glass. It seemed to be a picture of a black hole in a deep ocean. Or was it an eye? Then, it hit her as if someone had just hit her with a snowball: the chandelier, the stain glass window, the…fire nation! The fire nation was responsible for ruining her life. The more she thought about it the angrier she got. She looked at the glass piece with hatred and threw it into the ocean as far as she could.

How could the fire nation take down such a developed city? It they could take down the Northern Water Tribe they could take control over almost any other city. Aang's hard work had only lasted a good 300 years.

"We must find the new avatar," Shang thought aloud. "It's the only way to save the entire world."

Suddenly, she heard a deep growl come from inside the wooded area. First it started soft and gradually grew louder and louder. Shang rushed over to the boy and shook him awake.

"No, I wanna ride the carousel one more time Mommy." The boy was obviously still sleeping, so Shang shook him again. The growling grew louder. "Whaaaaat?" he said drowsily.

"Hurry come with me," Shang told him, but not soon enough. All of a sudden, a giant white bison jumped from the woods and tumbled Shang to the ground licking her face.

"Ahh," she cried. "You don't want to eat me. I don't taste good as you can probably can tell for yourself."

A boy Shang's age walked behind the bison laughing hysterically. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you. His name is Roxo. By the way, my name is Red." Shang couldn't see why. He had no resemblance to the color red at all. He had black shaggy hair and dark eyes.

"I'm Paca," the little boy said.

"Shang. I'm Shang. Where did you get a flying bison from? I thought they were extinct."

"No-way. The airbenders might be, but not these fellas. I saved him from the circus. Poor guy, my uncle worked him too hard." Then Shang understood. Red was from the fire nation.

"Well, what do you want from us? There is no way you are turning us in to the fire nation."

"Whoa there. I'm not taking you anywhere. Is that how you treat someone who saved your life?"

"Saved my life? What are you talking about? You are from the fire nation, right?"

"Well ya, but I am against this all powerful fire nation plan. I saw you jump and so I swoop down and saved you."

Shang was disgusted. "Well, for your information I had it all under control. I have done that many times before."

"With a child strapped to your back?" Red referred to Paca who was currently building a sand castle.

"This stuff is great," Paca was fascinated by the soft, warm substance. Shang went silent with embarrassment.

"Well, I did overhear you talking to yourself about the water avatar." Shang turned even redder with that comment. "So do you know the avatar? Because if there was ever a time we needed him most, it would be now."

"Who says it's a him?" Shang once again became furious toward his anti-female attitude.

"Well, I just assumed that since all the great role models are male that…"

"Well, don't assume," Shang cut him off. "For your information I am the great, great, great granddaughter of Princess Yue who has shown more bravery in one day then you will show in your life!"

"Sorrrry. But on to more important things…we need to find this avatar before all other elements become extinct as well."

"What's it to you?"

"Well my mother was actually an earthbender. Her and my father fell in love, but had to hide their feelings. My father being a firebender was forced to join the fire nation's army, and I haven't seen him since."

Shang felt a little bad for accusing Red now. She watched as he turned away and looked out at the ocean. "Red?" she asked. "Thank you." And with that she went over the join Paco and his sandcastle.

"All aboard!" Red called out. It was early in the morning, but everyone was already packing up their belongings. Shang shoved her coat in one of the bags tied to Roxo. Behind her Paca came running with an arm full of sand. As he ran it gradually sifted through the cracks in his arms so that when he reached Roxo there was nothing left.

"What's with the sand?" Shang laughed.

"I wanted to take some with us so I will always remember what it feels like."

Red pulled out a small teacup and handed it to Paca. He told him to fill it up and tie a piece of leather on the top so it wouldn't spill out. Paca did as he was told and placed it in the same bag as Shang's coat. He climbed up on Roxo ready for his second flight in his life, and this time he would be awake.

Shang took one last look around the place. She saw something sparkling in the corner of her eye. It was the stain glass piece. _Hmm, the tide must have pushed it to shore._ She picked it up and placed it back in her pocket.

"Come on Shang!" Paca yelled. Shang climbed up, Red gave a "yip, yip," and they were off to find the avatar.


End file.
